How We Get Up
by peenislover
Summary: In a world where the dead walk, Ross is only just beginning to remember what the hell is going on. When she meets Rick's group she begins to realize what the world truly is. Screwed. However, she uncovers why some people make life worth living. Rick/OC
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first fanfiction. I have been reading other's stories for two years, and I believe its time I try. Don't get me wrong, it might be that I should keep reading and never write again. However, it's worth a go! So TWD is pretty much my favorite show on television at the moment. I think about it nonstop, so why not write about it?! It will most definitely be a Rick/OC. Anyways don't hate too much as it is short, and I don't have a clue what I'm doing! Constructive criticism is always welcome and much appreciated. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Walking Dead**_

My eyes begin to flutter open. _What is going on? Where am I? Why does it smell like horse shit? _These are the questions I ask myself. After I get my bearings, I finally sit up. I had been lying in a wheat field. Scanning my surroundings, I see a nice, but abandoned sized house and what looks to be the ruins of a burned down farm. The rest is forest and a road. As I continue looking around, I try to stand up, working through the dizziness, and realize my head is bleeding. Great. Just peachy.

I tap into my memories to see just what the hell I have gotten myself into. My name is..._think harder, Ross! _Oh…well my name is Ross I suppose. Hold on I thought I was a girl…*checks*…still a girl, just a boy name. Why would my mother use such a name? Now that is the real question. A flash of kind blue eyes, a few gray hairs in a head full of unruly blond curls, and an infectious smile goes through my mind. A pang of sadness fills my heart, and I realize she is dead. How? In my heart I know, but I push those memories out of my mind. As it all starts to come back, I realize the last thing I remember is throwing my college cap in the air. After that, all I hear are the piercing screams of my peers.

I start to wander aimlessly in the field, when I see where the smell is coming from. It's a beautiful brown and white horse. As I walk towards it, the mare begins to get nervous. Slowly I calm it down, and begin to stroke its neck. Fortunately, I begin to realize that this is my horse, Carpus. Now the name does have a story; however, that story is for another day when I am not worried about my lack of memories. He looks at me with that exasperated face of _I can't believe it took you this long to figure out who I am._ Usually when I ride a horse, I don't bring camping supplies, a machete, and my dad's rifle. Desperate times call for desperate measures? I hope I haven't become some kind of serial killer; that would be such a drag. After I mount Carp, we begin to trot along the road, away from the eerie burnt farm.

I ride for about twenty minutes, when I realize there are no cars or people anywhere. Did my serial killer alter ego murder everyone? Eh…too farfetched even for me. The only logical explanation is I am the only one left on good ole Earth. And that's when I hear the moaning and the stench of dead flesh. I whip my head behind me to see five apparent cannibals desperately trying to get to me and Carp. So scratch that point about me being the last one on good ole Earth. I seem to attract only unwanted attention. It is then that when I look into the soulless, yellow eyes of the supposed cannibal, it all comes flooding back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Walking Dead**_

* * *

_Flashback_

_I threw my Florida University cap into the air; I was finally finished with med school. My dad and two sisters were sitting in the bleachers waving and clapping excitedly. Suddenly, the sounds of sirens and helicopters cut the applause short. We all looked around nervously as alarms continued to sound. Without warning, military personnel burst through the gym doors shouting at everyone to get out through the back door into the buses. The new graduates shuffled to the doors, knocking or pushing people out of their way. It was complete and utter chaos. _

_My dad was bellowing at me to come to him instead of the buses. Trying to cut through the crowd was not as easy of a task as some may think. It was kind of like cutting through rock, and I think I was about that successful. So I mouthed to my father to meet me at my car, since I had driven from my apartment. That's when I heard the gunshots being fired. One of the soldiers had been firing his machine gun into the air, and abruptly started shooting innocent bystanders. Dad ran to a civilian that had been shot and started arguing with the armed man. I was yelling at him to just let him do his job—whatever the hell was going on he did not need to get involved—and he just looked at me with a smile and shouted that he could handle himself. Then my father collapsed to the floor with a bullet hole in his head. _

_My mind shut down. I stood unmoving in the crowd as people pushed against me time after time. Nothing registered. I kept thinking my dad would sit up and laugh it off; there was never a time when he would show us his human side. He was always invincible. The screams from my sisters were starting to creep back into my consciousness. I vaguely remember someone dragging me towards the janitor's closet. _

"_ROSSO ANNE DEVLIN! YOU COME BACK TO EARTH RIGHT THIS SECOND!" I just stared at my oldest sister, Cleo. She had tears streaming down her beautiful high cheek bones. Her strawberry-blond hair was disheveled, and her usually wise, gray eyes were darting around in fear. She was a complete wreck, which only meant I looked like some kind of zombie. _

"_Where is Zoe, Cleo?" I finally asked. She gave me a look of absolute shame. "Cleo? Cleo! What happened to her?" I physically shook her shoulders, and she just looked down. "Listen to me. Where is Zoe? Curly blond hair, green eyes, round face?! CLEO ANSWER ME!" I screamed at her. _

_She looked at me with wide, watery eyes and said, "I lost her. I lost my sister. How could I be so stupid?! Zoe was holding my hand when we were trying to get you. And then...she was. She was gone, another face in the crowd. But I had to get you. You were standing there, and I had no idea where she was. So I rushed to the only family that I had left." Zoe was gone. Dad was gone. It was just me and Cleo. What was this nightmare? It just had to be some hellish kind of dream? Right? But I would never blame Cleo. She had always been my rock, the popular girl I always looked up to. I pushed all the thoughts about my family away. The best thing I could do was move on to the next question. _

"_Cleo, what the fuck is going on?" I whispered. "Why the fuck was that soldier shooting at innocent people? Is this some kind of joke? And my phone is out of service. Shit." She glanced at me and was about to speak, when we heard voices shouting. _

_A gruff voice began to yell orders from outside the door, "Okay boys, we gotta go into each room and check for civilians. If ya find some just bring 'em outside to the birds, who will take 'em to Atlanta. Supposedly that is the safest city near us. Now if they give ya any trouble, just knock 'em out. Do not, I repeat, do not fucking shoot 'em. I know when we all heard the news of people comin back from the dead, we kinda panicked. Fuller over here got carried away and killed some civilians he thought were biters. If all of yall are that fucking stupid, I'll quit right now. Now this is some kind of fucked up disease, but as of now if ya see a real—emphasis on the real, yeah I'm lookin at you Fuller—shoot it in the head. These shitheads are dangerous, and I know it sounds like some bad horror movie, but they will eat you. Think of it as an animal; there ain't no human left. It will only die if ya shoot it in the skull, so use all that hard ass training and hit the damn bullseye. Alright, move out!"_

_I looked at Cleo with wide eyes, and we instantly latched onto each other's hands. There was no way we were going with those assholes. Thank the Lord the door had a lock on the inside for some unknown reason. I guess the janitor wanted some alone time; no wonder this hallway was always so dirty. _

_We waited silently until we were sure all the military, choppers, and buses had left. Which according to Cleo's watch was about a day and a half. So we stood up and walked out of the building. It was completely deserted. However, there were cars everywhere because the buses had taken all of them to Atlanta. At the time, I didn't know how lucky I was for not meeting up with a walker, as I probably would have died right then and there. _

_Cleo and I got into my Nissan X-Terra—yes I have a fucking sweet car—and headed for our river house, as it was only an hour away from UF. _

"_Do you think they were being serious about the dead walking, Cleo? Cleo? Hey Cleo you in there?" I said to the girl looking out the window. _

_She looked at me with accusing eyes and screamed, "What is your fucking problem, Ross?! We just lost Dad and Zoe, and you haven't even shed a damn tear. I was crying my eyes out last night, and you just stared at me! Who cares about some disease? We just lost the rest of our family!" _

"_You think I don't give a shit?! Well I have some news for you. I care just as much as you do! I just have to…to keep moving. I have to keep driving." I said in a faraway voice. I couldn't handle her yelling at me anymore. My family was gone, but I just couldn't process it yet. _

_Suddenly, I saw some guy on the side of the road walking. It looked kinda like he had a bum leg, so I stopped and rolled down the window. "Need a lift, dude?" All I got in response was, "__Uuuuunnnngg."_ _As I did a double take I noticed his rotting flesh, sickly eyes, and bloody mouth. It kinda looked like he wanted us for supper, so naturally me and Cleo screamed and sped off. _

"_I'm pretty sure that was a biter. What do you think, Cleo?" I said. "Well I will never fault you again about contemplating this disease. I believe those soldiers were right. We need to kill these things, like we would an animal." She said in a matter of fact tone. _

_When we finally got to the house, there was a roamer wandering around the yard. I got out my rifle from my car—dad had always told me to be ready for a rapist and almost all Floridians carry a gun—and shot the bitch in the heart. Unfortunately, she kept walking. "SHOOT IT IN THE HEAD, ROSS!" my sister shouted. After I missed about three more times, I finally shot it in the head. As I examined the sickly color of her skin, I noticed a huge chunk bitten out of her arm. When I was about to examine her more thoroughly, Cleo said, "I think we should head inside and get some supplies. It seems like this thing will probably stick for a while." I couldn't agree more. _

* * *

_It had been almost six months since the outbreak. It had been almost six months since I last saw Zoe and Dad. It had been almost six months since me and Cleo weren't constantly on our toes. It had been almost six months since I had taken a hot shower. My list in order of things I missed from before the outbreak is as follows: Dad and Zoe, food, and showers. We were holed up in a small house around some farmland near Atlanta. Since Atlanta was a bust, we kept moving. We met some groups along the way, but we never stuck with them. However, we always stuck with each other. People in the groups would always comment how we were attached at the hip. We had to be. There had been so much death. In a sense, our past selves were dead and were replaced by women who were subject to the harsh reality of this world. _

_Cleo had become really talented with her longbow, and I just hacked away with my machete. We were such a good team. Cleo brought back the food, and I brought back the medicine. It was somewhat of an advantage because I had been training to be an orthopedic surgeon. I helped with the common ailments of the groups, and they would give me something valuable in return. Sometimes I felt bad for taking their supplies, but those supplies saved our lives more than a few times. I kept telling myself it was for Cleo's sake. _

_I looked at myself in the mirror. I was going to turn twenty-seven in a few weeks according to Cleo's calendar. My bronze colored hair was matted, and my normally deep, indigo eyes were dull. My usual statuesque body was malnourished and unshapely. I looked like a hobo. After staring at what I had become for about fifteen minutes, I headed downstairs into the kitchen to prepare the rabbit Cleo had caught. Suddenly, I paled at the sound of my sister shrieking, "ROSS! HELP ME!" _

_Immediately, I grabbed my shot gun and machete and sprinted outside to see my sister getting bit on the collar bone. "NO!" I screamed and shot four walkers in the head. I sprinted to Cleo, taking off my sweater to staunch the bleeding. I whispered, "It's gonna be fine, Cleo, don't worry. I'll patch you up in no time. I just have to…to get some alcohol to clean the wound. Don't worry. I got this. Doctor Ross is gonna fix you right up." She looked up at me with a wry smile._

"_How is it…you…you always find…a way to bring a-alc-ohol into the conver-versa-tion? Don't…don't worry about me…you just keep a…a look out for…Zoe. I-I love you so much." _

_She breathed her last breath, and I plunged my dagger into her head. I sat there and wept. I buried her at the house I will never forget. She was gone, and there was nothing I could do about it. After praying for her, I finally stood up. _

_It was then that I knew I had to keep moving. I walked to the barn that held my horse, Carpus, got all my supplies, and left the house where my sister was buried. _

_Carpus and I wondered the street to find another house to stay for the night. One had a burned down farm, so we went to take a closer look. Suddenly, Carpus bucks and I fall and hit my head on something. Then everything goes dark…_

_End Flashback_

* * *

So naturally I stab the yellow-eyed bastard in the head.

* * *

**So this ends my second chapter. Boy that was freaking long. So I'm not sure about the rating. Since the cussing is pretty prominent, it should be rated M. Right? Help me out here guys! Haha. Anyways next chapter Ross will be meeting up with a specific TWD group (hell yes). Finally something not depressing! Hope you guys liked it! **

**P.S. A very, very special thank you to my four reviews from Chaoscrew, Ava-Night, Laura201112, and sadrinhaferreira! You guys make it worth writing :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Walking Dead**_

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The walker I had pierced fell to the ground, and a feeling of utter defeat settles in my mind. My whole family is gone. How am I supposed to keep going when there is nothing left to live for? That's when it hits me. People have been seeing their family members die since the beginning of time. From dying of old age to being killed in action, death has always been a part of life. The way we die is just a little different nowadays.

No matter how much I try to convince myself, I still cannot fathom never seeing my sister's smile or hearing her contagious laughter. Then I begin to realize she would slap me upside the head for thinking such depressing thoughts. Cleo would then proceed to yell at me to go find some supplies, so I don't die of carelessness.

So I took my sister's advice. I kept going.

* * *

For two weeks I scavenged and fought for my life alone. It was the hardest two weeks so far. I would wake up with my head on Carpus' stomach to the cans jingling, letting me know a walker was approaching. I would kill it, gather my supplies, mount Carpus, and ride till we found another place to sleep. Today was a change of my daily routine. We needed supplies, so we rode into a small town.

First off, I see a rusty sign saying "Welcome to King County!" However, the place looks anything but welcoming. It has graffiti written on the road saying "Turn around and live." So naturally I keep going. Whoever is living here, had crafted ingenious traps to keep the walkers out. Now that is my kind of group. However, if they are that prepared for walkers, then I might need to keep a look out for anything unfriendly. As expected, I feel a gun cocked against my head. Guns have been pointed at my head more times than I care to admit this year. I look up to the average built, black man and say, "Maybe I should have turned around?"

"Yes, I think that would have been best. But seeing as you didn't, I'll have to ask you a few questions." He says, before he hits my head with the butt of his gun. And then everything goes black. Again.

I wake up groggily, hoping against hope that I get breakfast in bed. However, I begin to realize that I am not, in fact, in my warm, comfy bed waiting for the most important meal of the day. Not even close. I am in a holding cell, hand cuffed. I wait for about two hours for my captor to come question me. And in comes the man of the hour.

"I have yet to learn your name, girl." He stonily says.

"Well," I state defiantly, "I'm not gonna tell you anyways. You know why? Because I don't know yours, so why would I give you that kind of personal information, stranger? By the way, where did you put Carpus?! My horse!"

"My name is Morgan. And your horse is an abandoned store near here with some oats. But that is not what I want to talk about. What is your name and what is the purpose of you crossing into my territory?" the man coldly questions.

So I answer, but only because he tells me his name and is feeding Carpus some oats: "Rosso Devlin at your service. But most people just call me Ross. I came to your "territory" because I need supplies. Why else would I come into town?"

"I specifically painted those words on the street so no one would come in. What the hell am I supposed to do with you now?!"

I decided to answer for him, "Well I mean I could help you out in any way I can, then be on my way with some supplies."

"What makes you think I need any help at all?" Morgan asks.

"Everyone needs a group. Being alone will make you go crazy. Trust me. I know. My sister…she passed a few weeks ago. You're the first son of a bitch I've come across. For a while there, I thought I was the last one."

"Well you're not. Sorry about your sister," he says gruffly, "but I think you need to leave. I can handle myself alone. I don't need someone else to protect. You'll just die like my family. Anyways, I need to get rid of everything. I have to…to clear. Just leave. You can have some supplies and ammo. I owe it to someone who helped me out a while back."

And that's when he unlocked my handcuffs, shoved some supplies in my backpack, and pushed me out the front doors of the police station.

"Your horse is in the pharmacy down the road a ways. Good luck I guess." Morgan says curtly.

Before he turns to go back in, I quickly shout to him, "You don't have to do this, Morgan! I know you don't know me very well, but we'd be stronger together. I'd watch your back, and you'd watch mine. I can tell you're a good man. In this world, the humans need to stick together. You are pretty much sending me to my death! Is that what you want?!"

"You've gotten this far without a companion. You're better off without me anyways, and I work alone now. Just leave me alone, Ross. Leave before I kill you myself. LEAVE!" Morgan roars hysterically.

I didn't need telling twice, so I scampered away to find Carpus, away from the crazy man.

"She'll find a group. She's tough. Stronger than I'll ever be." Morgan mutters to himself.

* * *

After Carpus and I had finally gotten out of King County, we scavenged throughout the winter. I did so many things I am not proud of. I killed and left behind too many people. But it's what survival takes nowadays. However, one good thing came of that winter. I met someone.

His name is Duncan Thompson, and I think I am in love with him. When I found him, he was close to being dead. Duncan had been beaten by a terrible group and left for dead. I took pity on him and fixed him right up. He had thanked me profusely, saying "I can't believe you helped me!" "I'm so happy I've finally found someone who has some human left in them!" "I'll be forever in your debt!" blah blah blah. He did have an advantage of being seriously hot. After I had cleaned off all the blood from his face, I discovered clear blue eyes, black hair, and a strong jaw. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the sexiest man left in the apocalypse. We became fast friends. I trusted him with my life, and I told him my story. However, he was never that forthcoming about his past. I don't blame him of course, as it is hard to say out loud all the things we have done to survive in this world. All I found out is he used to have a son, but he was killed after the outbreak. Every time he speaks of his child, I see the tears forming in his sea blue eyes. A few nights ago things escalated between us. We didn't do it, but we were pretty close before he stopped me. He huskily said, "I want to have a proper relationship before we get into that." Some fucking bullshit if you ask me. But I'll wait for Duncan if he isn't ready yet.

We have been together with Carpus for a while now, and we still haven't found sanctuary yet. However, after a long trek looking for supplies, we saw the prison.

"It's perfect." I state dreamily. Next thing I know Duncan is hugging me like it was the last time he'd ever see me.

Duncan whispers, "I love you, Ross." That's when I know I won't stop smiling for the rest of the day.

"I love you too, Duncan. It's you and me against the world." I declare.

"Let's be smart about this, Ross. I'm not sure if anyone is living here yet, but if they are we need to be prepared for anything. No one is just gonna let us in out of charity. Not everyone is as nice as you." He says, while winking at me.

"You are absolutely right, smarty. I think we need to look the least threatening as possible. If there is someone living there, they will probably have people watching in the towers. Let's slowly walk up to the fence."

Getting through the woods with Carpus had always been a struggle; however, today he was being completely stubborn. Something is wrong with him, but we cannot figure it out to save our lives. Suddenly, we hear the disgusting moanings of about twenty walkers.

"Shit fuck." I whisper.

After that, it becomes a blur of blood and screaming. I realize that I'm the one yelling, and I see Duncan staring at me while a walker sinks its teeth into his neck. Carpus then shields me from the walkers. I know my machete won't be enough in this instance, so I pull out my Kimber and start pulling the trigger. They get to Carpus, no matter how hard I try. As sick as it is, the flesh-eating monsters are so distracted by my beloved horse that I have time to drag Duncan's lifeless body away from the chaos. The tears are blurring my vision, so I sit with my back against the fence of the prison and Duncan's head in my lap. "We were so close, Duncan. Why did I even fall for you when I knew this would happen? Morgan was right. I should just be alone. I can't protect anyone but myself." I murmur to him, while stroking his hair.

Then the walkers start to come towards me, and I realize I don't have the energy to fight back anymore. I close my eyes and embrace death with full force.

I abruptly hear a few gun shots, and vaguely feel someone pulling me into the safety behind the fences. Through tears, I yell, "Don't you dare leave my Duncan out there. I need to be able to look at him. Please! I need him!" I look up to see bright blue eyes staring intently at me. "Please. Please, don't take him away." I sob.

"Bring the man to her, Daryl. I'm sure she knows what has to be done." The handsome man says.

The rough looking man, Daryl brings Duncan to me. I pull out my knife and whisper in his ear, "I'll love you forever and always." I then plunge the knife into his head, and look back at the blue eyed man who pulled me from death.

"Thank you…" I utter.

"Rick Grimes, ma'am. I'm sorry we didn't come out in time." He says sorrowfully.

"Nothing you could have done, and it's Rosso Devlin by the way. But you can call me Ross." I state through silent tears.

* * *

**Well that's it! She finally met Rick! HELL YEAH! Okay so first question. Was Morgan too out of character? I say that because I wasn't sure if he'd let anyone into his home without killing them. But then I thought, he hasn't been alone for as long, when you see him in season 3! So he can't be as crazy as he is in episode "Clear." Second question who should Ross become good friends with. I will be making a poll, but for now just post your thoughts by hitting the review button (: And lastly what did you think of the season finale?! Let's just say Rick will always be the most badass character of this show. Hope ya'll liked it! :D **

**P.S. A special thanks to **_**Chaoscrew, sandrinhaferreira, and Laura 201112! Ya'll make my day! (: **_

**P.P.S. And looks like I will try to update every Sunday. That way you have your own version a walking dead episode to look forward to! **

**P.P.P.S. I finished the poll! SO GO VOTE! Even if you don't like this story, you should still vote if only to get my creative juices flowing. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Walking Dead**_

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The cold, concrete floor presses to my body, as I pull my blood spattered knees to my chest. _What am I supposed to do now? I am back where I started; I have no family, no one I love. Duncan. Gone. _ I look at my surroundings through blurry vision. Vaguely, I see the outlines of bunk beds and a cell door. A figure comes to the door.

A feminine voice softly says, "Hey, you alright in there? I heard about your friend, and we've all lost people we care about. So I'm here, if you're ever in need."

I glance at her as she turns away. Long brown hair, pretty face, and remarkably pregnant. But I just sit there. No one can help me. I've become numb. Unfeeling. Without emotion. When _he_ died, I didn't feel what I was supposed to. I cried, not out of heartbreak, but out of how quickly I had already moved on.

I stand up to look in the mirror and peer at my disheveled hair, dull eyes, and tear streaked face. I am cold. A coldhearted monster. A hollow shell of who I used to be. Empty.

Survive. That is all I have left. I will hold onto that word with steadfast determination.

In the end, I crawl into the bunk bed only to lay there for most of the night staring into the darkness. Eventually, I fall into a fitful sleep.

* * *

My eyes flutter open to see piercing blue eyes staring at me. Startled, I hit my head on the bunk bed above me. "Owww." I mutter.

"Well that wasn't how I was planning on waking you up, but I guess it worked." The man says, with a smile pulling at his pink lips. This only serves to irritate me further. "So…Ross right?" He asks. I just stare blankly at him. "Okay…Well I'm pretty sure I'm right since that's what you told us yesterday. I'm Rick Grimes if you don't remember. Anyways, we took precautions by taking away your weapons, as I'm sure you can understand. My son was the one who saw you and your friend start to come out of the forest. I'm not usually one to take in more people, but he insisted you needed our help. Undoubtedly, he was right. I really am sorry for your loss. We've decided to bury him today, if that's alright with you. But don't think I won't be watching you. Just one wrong move is all it takes. If I even hear of you doing something wrong, I will personally take you out. Now I'm going to ask you some questions. You think you can handle that?" Rick states firmly. I nod in submission. What do I have to lose? I just want to bury him.

"Are you with a group?"

"No, I am alone."

"Why did you come to the prison?"

"We needed food and shelter. We were tired of running."

"Are you willing to be a beneficial and trusted part of this group?"

"Depends on y'all, honestly. I'm as trusting of you, as you are of me."

"Makes sense. Well I guess it's time to introduce you to everyone. Your hands will be cuffed until we go outside to bury your friend. Is that clear?" He asks.

"Crystal." I state tightly, pursing my lips.

Roughly, Rick takes me out of my cell and into what looks like a sitting area. In it sits and stands a group of nine more people. They look tense and stressed. What the hell would I do to them? I'm only one person. By the looks of it, they've been through as tough of a winter as I have. Rick then gestures to a boy with a sheriff's hat, a face full of freckles, and a confident glint in his pale, blue eyes.

"This is the boy who saved your life, my son, Carl." He declares proudly.

With genuine gratefulness, I say, "Thank you, Carl. I don't take it lightly, which means I'm forever in your debt."

"It was nothin…" he utters looking downward. I smile at him fondly, glad that there are still good people in this shitty world.

"Alright. Well everyone this here is Rosso Devlin, but I'm sure she'd rather be called Ross. She will be spending most of her time in a jail cell until she proves that she is trustworthy. Now Ross, let me introduce you to everyone." He states and begins to point at the group members. "This is Daryl, Glenn, T-Dog, and Carol. Over here is Hershel and his two daughters, Maggie and Beth. You've met my son. Lastly this is my wife, Lori." Daryl stares at me, untrusting. He is unquestionably a full-fledged redneck, which I know from experience is probably one of the best things a person can be during a zombie apocalypse. I can tell that he is handsome under all the dirt and blood, but I don't ponder that for too long. Glenn looks to be wary of me as an intruder. He stands halfway in front of Maggie, so immediately I know they are together. T-Dog looks at me indifferently. It's hard to get a read, so I don't look for much longer. Carol seems timid at first, but then I notice a spark in her eyes. She is a survivor no doubt. Hershel is what I would imagine my grandfather to look like, if I had one. His kind eyes are a welcome sight. Beth just looks at me curiously. She looks to be about seventeen, yet she doesn't wear the same hard look as the rest of them. Her wide eyes still show the innocence of a youthful girl. Maggie, I can tell, is not content to let Glenn stand in front of her. She looks to be the toughest out of all the women, and she stares at me with an unconcerned look. I now know who came to my cell. Lori. She looks at me with a sympathetic stare. I finally come back to Rick. His cool blue eyes look at me with curiosity at how I would respond to this grand meeting. He is probably in his mid-thirties, even though this ordeal has aged him. It seems this group might be a hard one to crack.

"Thanks for the intro, Rick." I reply sarcastically. Then I address the group, "I'm genuinely happy with the looks I'm getting. If y'all didn't stare at me with suspicion, then I'd probably be wondering how the hell y'all got this far. Honestly, you guys seem like a tight knit group, and I won't get in the way of that. Just give me a place to sleep and some food, and I'll help in any way I can. It isn't lost on me the things you had to consider by bringing me in. In short, I appreciate it. Now, if ya don't mind, Rick, I'd like to bury my partner." I declare frankly. Everyone just kind of looks at me openly.

Rick stares at me in surprise, and nods. As he starts to lead me outside, Daryl and Glenn come over to me.

"Uh…we'd be willing to help, if that's alright with ya." Daryl states in a southern drawl. I look up in shock and nod. Wasn't expecting that.

Rick, Glenn, and Daryl lead me outside to _his_ body. It is covered up with a white sheet. I close my eyes and breathe the tainted air that surrounds me. Opening my eyes, I walk determinedly to the body. I pick up his head and gesture for the others to help me carry him out to the grass.

The sweat and tears start to pour down my face after I am almost done digging a big enough space. Every shovel of dirt brings me closer to making peace. Rick is about to help me put him into the ground, never to be seen again, when I put my hand up to him. I then pull down the sheet to look at his face. As much as I want to see him smiling again, I feel better knowing he would never become one of them. Undoubtedly, he is in a better place than I am.

After we put the body in the grave and cover it with dirt, I stand there not knowing what to do. Duncan is dead. I know I have to keep on living, but is it worth it?

Suddenly, I see Hershel and the rest of the group come out to pay their respects. He reads a verse and says a prayer, making it feel like an actual funeral. As everyone begins to leave, I pick up two sticks, bind them into the shape of a cross, and stick them into the ground. _Here lies Duncan. Loved by everyone who met him, he will be missed deeply, _I carve into the wood.

Rick gently takes my hands and cuffs them. His clear eyes search mine, as if gazing through me. I look away, not knowing how to respond. He turns my chin towards him, so I am forced to look at him. "Don't let it consume you." He whispers softly. I just stare at him wondering what compelled him to comfort someone he doesn't know anything about. Shaking myself out of it, I turn away and begin the walk back to the prison.

* * *

"…If I'd never made it off the farm."

"You're exhausted, frightened."

"Yeah, that's true. My son can't stand me. And my husband, after what I put him through."

I try to close my ears to the rest of the conversation. Eavesdropping is not how I should get to know these people. I'm not sure what Lori did, but it seems her relationship with Rick is wearing thin. Then I realize…Rick has his whole fucking family. Not only that, but he has a baby on the way. A flash of anger pulses through my body, making me shutter. Here is a man who hasn't lost anything, and he is still having problems with his family. If only he knew what it was like to lose everything. Once something like that happens, there is no coming back. No matter what kind of hatred I ever had against my family, I would give anything to have them back in my arms.

"Hey…um Daryl?!" I shout, not sure who I should ask because I really don't feel like talking to Rick.

Daryl wanders over to my cell giving me an aggravated look, "Wha' do ya want?"

"So I hear y'all are going to look for a cafeteria and an armory. I want in." I declare feeling overly confident.

"You'd have to ask Rick." He replies and saunters off.

"RICK!" I bellow and start hitting my cuffs against my cell door. "That'll get his attention." I mutter, smirking to myself.

Rick strides over to my jail cell and just stares at me with those piercing blue eyes, which is particularly unnerving. "Well?" he asks.

"I…uh…just wanted to um…go with y'all to search for the cafeteria." I mumble looking down.

"Well if you mumble the whole time, I'm not sure I want ya coming on the run." He states tightly.

Red in the face, I indignantly reply, "I'm not just gonna fucking sit here, cuffed, for the rest of my life. One of these days, you gotta let me out. I am not just some little girl who doesn't know what she's doing. I've been through hell, and come out of it a survivor. So if you'd be so kind. Take these damn cuffs off me. "

"You don't make the decisions. Don't forget that you just got here, so, Ross, you are sittin this one out." He answers, with enough power that it makes me shut up. Rick then strides out with Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, and Hershel. Why the hell is he bringing Hershel? I have no idea.

Deflated, I lie in my bed and stare at nothing for what seems like a few minutes. However, I suddenly hear, "Open the door! It's Hershel!"

Well that doesn't sound promising. I try to get a good look out of my cell and see the gruesome scene of Hershel on a table bleeding out without a leg.

"RICK GRIMES! Let me out right this instant. I am fucking trained in medicine for this shit!" I desperately scream.

"Let her out damnit." He whispers defeated.

Daryl hurries over to my cell and lets me out. I run over to Hershel, seeing Carol trying frantically to staunch the blood. "Please let me help, Carol. I went to medical school for this." I urgently say to her. She moves over hesitantly.

After she moves, I go into action checking his breathing and starting on the leg. I had watched my father do this kind of procedures many times, but I didn't have any of the equipment that I needed. Vaguely I hear that he was bit, but I am only focused on saving him. "I need towels and a pillow for under his leg. Thank goodness y'all had the sense to use a tourniquet." I utter breathlessly. As I continue to stop the bleeding, Carl walks in with first aid. "You are a lifesaver, Carl!" I shout happily, while Lori shoots me a look, but I'm too busy to even acknowledge it. I wrap Hershel's wound up in a proper fashion. "We need to keep him warm in order to make sure he doesn't go into shock." Then I take a breath I didn't know I had been holding. "It's done. The only thing we have left to do is wait." I mutter. Suddenly, I hear voices outside the cell block.

"What was that?" Beth asks, frightened.

"Prisoners, survivors. It's alright, everybody stay put." Rick answers hurriedly.

"Well shit." I mumble.

* * *

**Well there it is! I am sooooooo sorry this took me so long! I don't have a good enough excuse except that school was kicking my ass. Just so you know, not everything is going to be exactly the same as the show. Ross will be making a difference; she will not just be along for the ride. I know Rick kind of seems mean, and it's kind of harsh that Ross is angry because he still has his whole family. I wanted to be different in the sense that there isn't love at first sight. They will go through a lot before they realize their feelings (just a warning). The poll is still up, so right now Glenn and Beth are tied (lol two people voted). It will be up probably until next chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! It means the world to me! **

**P.S. Thank you so much to **_**Chaoscrew**_** and **_**sandrinhaferreira**_** for sticking with me! You guys rock! (:**


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